First of all, thank you for your interest in my work. I have written my entire life and expect always to write, create, and dream up stories simply because imagination and curiosity are integral to who I am.

I am often asked how I came up with a particular poem, or story, or even recipe, and my answer is always the same: I listen.

Being in the mountains, near the ocean, or simply standing under an expansive sky looking up, I listen to the quiet as well as the cacophony of nature. When I write, I listen to the characters’ conversations; I watch their lives unfold as if watching a film. Because I am immersed in the setting, and because the characters’ seem to know what they are doing, the plot tends to take care of itself.

This is not to say that I don’t need and appreciate my dear friends and razor-sharp editors, Susan and John, but I am not a “Planner” kind of a writer. I am a “Pantser”; meaning I write by the seat of my pants! And sometimes hang on with my fingernails as the characters lead me to the strangest places!

When I am not writing, or listening, or day dreaming, I am hosting author/foodie/crafty programs, cooking and baking and road tripping with my wonderfully supportive husband, or missing beloveds in North Carolina. Most evenings, you’ll find me watching narrow boat series, or reading everything from Chekhov’s personal correspondence to the Sweet Potato Queens laugh-out-loud books.

Most often, I am attempting to herd our five rescue cats away from mayhem and spoiling our rescue dog between endless German Shepherd brushings!